Shedding the Skin
by Merkiel
Summary: After reflecting on his match with Momoshiro, Kaidoh seeks to be reborn.
1. Kaidoh's Reflection

Author's Notes:

_Shedding the Skin_ seemed to be an appropriate title for a Kaidoh-centric story. It focuses on Kaidoh's improvement as a player, but also details the growth of the other Seigaku players as well. It takes place after anime episode 178 and before the OVA continuation, approximately. This work contains major spoilers to the plot.

Constructive criticism is highly appreciated.

Summary:

"After reflecting on his match with Momoshiro, Kaidoh seeks to be reborn."

Chapter Prologue

_Out! Game and match: Momoshiro, seven games to six!_

It was a game that he had put his entire being into; he had no regrets. Kaidoh Kaoru was not dissatisfied.

_"I lost, Momoshiro."_

_"You hit back my Super Dunk. Next time, I'll win properly."_

It was an inspiring match against his best friend and rival. He had even managed to hit back Momo's "Super Dunk", albeit just slightly out of bounds. Kaidoh Kaoru was not disappointed.

_That's why I will definitely defeat you and and grasp the Regular position!_

It was the shining proof of the strength of the style he had built from scratch through a combination of simple but exhaustive hard, physical work and an impregnable force of will. Kaidoh Kaoru was not defeated.

Then, why? If he believed in all of these truths, why did he still feel broken?

It might have been that he felt that he did not invest himself in the game entirely. It might have been that he was unable to counter Momo's Sunday punch. It might have been that he lost faith in his own efforts. Despite the variable reason, Kaidoh found himself being crushed from the bottom by the brilliant growth of the tennis skills of his friends and teammates and from the top by the limitations of his own potential.

It might have been the realization that he was just a snake, and the venom of his fangs proved trivial in a world where he can be easily killed by simply being stepped on.

* * *

Kaidoh had not really talked to Coach Ryuzaki since his entrance into the club as a freshman. Kaidoh typically avoided talking to anyone that he did not have to. So it came as a surprise to him when the Coach sent a note to Kaidoh's home classroom, summoning the boy to her office. He approached the door with a strange apprehension. 

"Kaidoh, I'll make this brief. Quit tennis."

Kaidoh thought that the words would have hit him like a bag of bricks, but they only seemed to be a light slap in the face. Kaidoh almost expected the result, subconsciously aware of the reason behind it, but reflexively replied anyway, his eyes cast at the floor.

"Why should I?"  
"I don't want players on my team who don't want to play tennis."

Kaidoh shifted his gaze from the floor to the coach. "That's absurd! Of course I want to play tennis!"  
"You can say that, but there's no life to your game anymore. All of the others are driving forward with the same resolve that conquered Rikkai Dai." She brought her finger up and pointed at the boy. "You, on the other hand, are slipping up. You've lost three games in a row now, and two of those games were against non-regulars."  
Kaidoh's voice fell flat, and he stared at the floor again. "So? That just means I'm in a slump. Everyone has losing streaks."  
"Yes. Everyone has losing streaks. But, despite that, they continue to play with spirit. I've watched all of your recent matches. You neglect to use the most basic of footwork. You ignore the style that you've built for yourself."

Kaidoh remained silent, as he had nothing to object to.

"And most importantly, you don't have the desire to win behind each and every stroke. You don't have the determination you once had. You're just going through the motions."

Kaidoh kept still as a statue.

"I don't want such a worthless player on my team."

* * *

"Kaidoh, it's time you became more serious and gave a bit more thought to your studies." 

Not particularly in any sort of mood to be lectured by his guidance counselor after just being kicked off of the tennis team by the coach, Kaidoh was loathe to listen to the man's words, but also knew that his guidance counselor was correct.

Mr. Motsuko, a bespectacled man with graying hair, massaged his temples and continued on. "I understand that you did well on the tennis team, but let's be honest. You're not going to become a professional. That kind of talent only comes along once in a century. And even if you had the talent, who's to say that no injury or misfortune should come along your way? Tennis is a relatively dangerous sport; you've seen it and experienced it for yourself. It's an unstable foundation for any kind of future."

"Yeah. I know."  
"If you know, then take these." Mr. Motsuko pulled some pamphlets out of his desk and slid them across to Kaidoh. "Do you know what these are?"

Kaidoh eyed the buildings on the brightly colored brochures with reservation. "High schools."  
"That's right. I know you're still just a junior, but you should give some thought on where to attend. You're a smart kid. If you study, then you'll be able to get into any prestigious high school of your choice. From there, you can go to college, and pursue a real career."

Kaidoh thumbed through the brightly colored sheets with a mild interest. Each high school was competitive and highly-ranked, but Kaidoh's grades were high enough that he would be able to gain admittance.

"Thanks," came the awkward and begrudging reply.

* * *

Kaidoh lay on his bed staring up at the dark ceiling, throwing and catching a spare tennis ball up and down rhythmically. The events of the day paced through his mind as he repeated the exercise that had become so familiar to him. 

_Quit tennis, Kaidoh._

_Focus on your future now._

For years, ever since he met Momoshiro Takeshi, Kaidoh devoted his entire being into playing a single sport. Now, that singular objective vanished from his sight. Was he really that pathetic a person that being booted from the team would send him into such a depression? Was he really so talentless that he could literally do nothing but play tennis?

No – that was not it. Kaidoh Kaoru was not the type of person who would haphazardly base all of his life on something superficial, like being able to play on a team, or being able to play at all. For Kaidoh, tennis was not an obsession. Rather, it was a passion.

Before he discovered tennis through Momoshiro, Kaidoh was a shy and easily frightened boy. By playing tennis, he discovered his own talent, and gained confidence. By building his own style from the ground up, he discovered his own perseverance, and gained strength. By working with the other members, he discovered friends, and gained self-esteem. Since the start of junior high, tennis had helped Kaidoh grow as a person.

And that is why that he resolved to continue it. Because, aware of his own intentions, he chose to continue the path of self-improvement. Because he wanted more confidence. And, most importantly, because he loved to play the game. Someday, he knew that he would have to face reality and pursue a "career", but while he still had his youth, he still had his ambition, and the means to play and re-invest his entire heart in the game.

* * *

"Hello? This is Inui. Oh, it's you. You sure are calling late. I guess I could, if it's really urgent. Yeah, I'll be there. No problem. Bye." 


	2. Resolution for Rebirth

Chapter One

"It's unusual for you to call me out this late, Kaidoh." The older boy sipped on his soda from a seat away.  
Kaidoh bowed his head apologetically. "Thank you for coming.""Don't worry about it. More importantly, what did you want to talk about?"  
"Inui, I want some advice." Kaidoh motioned his hands forward. "You've always helped me to train, but I need to get back in my game."  
"Oh, yeah. Everybody's been talking about how you've quit from the team. Is it true?"  
Kaidoh hesitated, clenching his fist tightly. "It's true. But it wasn't my choice."  
"I see." Inui took another sip of his drink.  
"I lost my motivation," began Kaidoh. "I forgot why I played tennis, and I started to play poorly."  
"When did this happen?"  
"Right after the match I lost to Momoshiro."  
"And you failed to get the Regular spot."  
"That's right."

"I see. But, Kaidoh, why would you be so selfish?" Inui spoke in an eerie, even manner that unnerved his younger friend.

"Selfish?"  
"You still don't understand? Kaidoh, I once lost my regular position." He brought his eyes to Kaidoh's. "To you, I might add. Momoshiro was also once cut from the team. Do you remember that?"  
"Yeah."  
"And you don't think that we felt the same disappointment?"  
Kaidoh suddenly flushed, feeling ashamed of him. "I'm sorry," he squeezed out.  
"It's alright. I'm more curious than angry."  
Kaidoh turned away from Inui. "I've lost games before. I mean, the very first time Echizen came here, he beat me."  
Inui chuckled. "Yeah, when he was still within our reach."  
"But back then, it wasn't as devastating," Kaidoh continued. "At that time, I knew that my style was still just developing. When I lost to Momoshiro, It wasn't just that I lost to my rival. I could see the shortcomings of my own style."  
Inui fixed his glasses. "So you saw your own limitations."  
"Yes."

Kaidoh turned towards his friend and brought forth his hands in a supplicating manner. "Inui, I want to break that limitation. I wish to be reborn."  
Inui smiled. "What kind of friend would I be if I refused to help you?"


	3. The Sealed Snake

Training I

Inui paced back and forth on the vacant tennis court, waving his fingers in an instructional manner. "If you're truly serious, then we'll start from scratch. You're going to re-learn the basics and build your entire style of playing all over again. That means going back to freshmen-level exercises. Are you fine with that?"

"Yes," came the resolute reply.

Inui tossed Kaidoh a set of four weights for the wrists and ankles. "Go ahead and put these on. They're one kilogram each, the weight setting that I use. Don't try to do more than that, otherwise you'll injure yourself and your work will be counterproductive."

Kaidoh nodded in understanding.

"And, if you fail even once in any of the exercises you attempt," began Inui. "I will unleash upon you the fruit of my labor."

From his training bag, Inui pulled out a mammoth bottle containing a viscous, neon-black substance. Kaidoh could sense an incredible evil radiating from the concoction. _Is that drink actually screaming in agony and begging for the torture to end, or am I just hallucinating?_

Inui's glasses sparkled in a stray sunbeam. "I call it: 'Supreme Inui Juice Del Muerto.'"

Kaidoh's eyes bulged and his stomach inverted itself painfully. "What kind of demonic ingredients did you put into that?"

"They're all things that can usually be digested by most humans."

Kaidoh gathered up all of his courage scattered across his mind and body and closed his eyes. "Alright, Inui. I'm ready for the training."

"That's fine. But, Kaidoh, there's one thing I must ask of you."

"What is it?"

"Don't use the Snake, or any of its variations."

Kaidoh opened his eyes and faced Inui. "What? Why?"

"You want to be reborn, right? Up until now, you've been winning because of your incredible perseverance and stamina, and because of the snake. But you've always been a step behind in your overall tennis level."

Kaidoh looked crestfallen. "But," he struggled. "The Snake is all I have."

"Exactly. That's why you need to stop using it." Inui smirked. "I think Coach Ryuzaki phrased it best: 'Are you so weak that you have to rely on a single move to win?'"

Kaidoh began to think, and realized the logic of Inui's command.

"If you work first to increase your playing ability, you can find new ways to capitalize on your natural gifts and create a new style. And, at that point, you can remove the seal we've placed. Once you do, you'll find that the Snake will have grown more than you would ever anticipate."

Kaidoh lowered his voice. "No. You're right. If I keep relying on the Snake, I won't actually grow as a player."

"Precisely."

"I want to become strong, Inui." Kaidoh stared Inui in the eyes with a fierce intensity – more than that of a mere garden serpent.

"That's the general idea of training, Kaidoh."

"No. I mean, I want to become truly strong." Kaidoh grasped the handle of his racket tightly. "I want to become strong enough to fight evenly with Tezuka, Fuji, and all those other monsters. I want to become a player worthy of the nationals. And I know I won't change unless I level up my basics. So, yeah. I'll seal the snake until the nationals."

"Well said, Kaidoh. Are you ready to go to the beach?"

"Eh?"

* * *

"I know that running on the beach is more advantageous than running on asphalt due to the sand," began Kaidoh as he removed his sandals. "But I don't understand why you're asking me to run barefoot."

Inui smirked. "You'll find out for yourself, soon enough. Now, go."

* * *

_This seems simple enough, though it is quite hot outside._

Kaidoh seemed to be going at his usual pace, but something seemed amiss. _Why does it feel like everyone around me is moving faster?_

Suddenly, the realization hit Kaidoh. _They're _not_ moving faster than me. I'm moving slowly! But why? I thought the only difference between sand and asphalt was – _Kaidoh felt a sharp twitch in his toes and fell over forward. As he attempted to get up, he saw that all ten of his toes were red and sore from the exercise.

Inui, who had been following Kaidoh via surfboard, confirmed Kaidoh's immediate concern. "Do you see now? The challenge isn't simply moving on the sand. The part of your foot that provides forward momentum – your toes – are the real victims here. Train your toes, and you will conquer this exercise."

Kaidoh looked at his toes in a furious manner, commanding them to function again.

"You have an excellent endurance, Kaidoh. In a war of attrition, you won't lose. But, no matter how much stamina you have, if you can't reach the ball in time, then it's all useless in the end. That's the true meaning of this training. On top of building your already impressive cardiovascular strength, you'll be increasing the power of your legs and feet to develop a smooth and sharp forwards and backwards movement."

Kaidoh nodded slowly, grasping the intent of the exercise.

"However, Kaidoh," Inui began, creeping up to the shore, approaching his bag. "You did fail to finish the run."

* * *

Kaidoh Kaoru would have described himself as a man with zero fears. After tasting the Supreme Inui Juice Del Muerto, Kaidoh Kaoru would have described himself as a man with one fear.

* * *

"Are you sure this is right?"

"I'm positive," assured Inui as he finished taping Kaidoh's legs together. "Alright. You have three hours. Drag yourself, using only your arms, from here back to my house. For each second that you're late, you'll have another glass of juice waiting for you."

"I'll do it!" Kaidoh proclaimed resolutely.

Inui grinned. "Oh, you sound confident." He took a smaller backpack and tossed it to Kaidoh. "Put this on."

Kaidoh did as he was told, and immediately winced. "More weights."

"If you want to improve, don't let me go easy on you."

"I understand."

* * *

_This is painful. My hands are blistering badly, my fingers are swollen, and my arm seems scratched up badly from all the rubbish on the sidewalk. But I have to do this. I can do this._

Finally, Kaidoh pulled himself up onto Inui's pavement, and stopped the arduous trek, collapsing to catch his breath. Inui knelt down and picked up Kaidoh's arm. "You're bleeding a little, but it's not serious. More importantly, that should have done a number on your forearms, hands, wrists, and fingers – a complete arm exercise. If you do this repeatedly, you'll see the results in your grip and swing."

"That's good to hear," Kaidoh panted.

Inui's glasses emanated a dark aura. "Now, let me check the time."

Kaidoh's insides froze in fear.

"This is odd. I had calculated you'd be back here four minutes late, but you're back here a minute early instead." Inui removed his glasses and checked the watch again. "No mistaking it. You've done well, Kaidoh."

* * *

_I wonder why Inui told me not to bring my racket._ Kaidoh stood, dumbfounded, at the entrance to the tennis courts. This particular court had lots of machines that would pump a series of balls towards you as long as you insert a one-hundred yen coin. Most people used it for hitting practice, but Inui seemed to have a different idea in mind.

Just as Kaidoh began to insert a coin, Inui spotted him. "Hey, Kaidoh. Sorry I'm late."

"Inui, shouldn't I have brought my racket?"

"Ah, right, I forgot to explain this exercise." Inui fixed his glasses. "The objective here isn't to hit the balls, it's to catch them. You're just going to focus on catching the balls with your hands. I'm setting it to randomize side-to-side movement. Your forward and backward movement has improved, but your shifting of weight is still weak. If you move left and your opponent tries a right cross, you wouldn't be able to switch directions in time. This is designed to correct that flaw. Also, by catching the balls, you're developing your hand-eye coordination, and your overall concentration and precision."

"I'm ready, Inui."

Inui walked up to his friend. "Let's make this a bit more challenging." He picked up a few more training weights and handed them to Kaidoh. "Go ahead and put these on."

Kaidoh closed his eyes and smirked. "I can handle twice of these."

"I thought you'd say something like that, so I brought more of them."

Kaidoh's arms and legs were now almost entirely lined with weight, making any movement at all cumbersome. "I'm ready now, Inui."

"I trust you can handle the rest yourself, then. See you."

"Thanks--"

Kaidoh barely had time to finish thanking his friend before the first ball whizzed by his head, causing his hair to stand on end. _Damn. I need to pay attention._

Kaidoh dashed right to try to catch the second ball, but the combined mass of the training weights suddenly applied themselves and Kaidoh found himself falling down before he could move an inch. With all of his strength, he managed to stand up again, just in time for the third ball to hit him on his chin. He hissed, and then jumped out to the left to catch the next ball, but fell over again.

_I'm trying too hard. I need to be lighter on my feet._

Kaidoh once again got up, with more difficulty than last time, and just barely caught the fifth ball. Then the sixth, and seventh. By the eighth ball, Kaidoh was accustomed to the rhythm of the machine. However, he found that his hip muscles were beginning to strain. _I see. This is what Inui meant._

* * *

As night approached, Kaidoh dragged himself to his front door and wearily wafted up the stairs. His mother spotted him, and yelled out to him. "Kaoru! What happened to you? Your face is bruised, and you've got cuts and scrapes all over!"

"It's fine. It's nothing, really. I'm just going to take a shower, and then head to sleep."

Kaidoh's mother shrugged. "Alright, then."

* * *

Sumire Ryuzaki sat at her desk, well after school hours, double-checking the new lineup for the nationals. As she glanced at one empty square of the page, she couldn't help but feel pain and bury her face into the palm of her hand.

It wasn't her intention to discourage Kaidoh. She thought she knew the boy. She rationalized that the best way to motivate him was to be tough with him. So, she kicked him off the team -- one of Seigaku's greatest assets. She just prayed that Kaidoh would work his way back.

* * *

Again, Kaidoh found himself throwing his tennis ball up and down with a familiar, sinusoidal tempo, but this time, he found himself smiling. Despite the physical pain and intensity of the weeks' training, he had found "gold on the inside". He had found the old Kaidoh Kaoru.

Kaidoh looked at his calendar. On the top was a picture of his favorite pro player, Roger Federer. Below, he glanced at the dates. There were two weeks remaining until Seigaku entered the National tournament. It would be a race against time for Kaidoh to re-enter the team and re-claim his position as an alternate for the tournament. It was a hopelessly slim chance.

Kaidoh lived for hopelessly slim chances.

Kaidoh hissed.

Author's Notes:

I decided to separate the training arc into two chapters, as it was getting a bit long for my tastes. I wanted to really show Kaidoh's training in-depth, but I'm afraid I may have glossed over those sections in my hurry to get the chapter out.

Also, I wanted to portray Coach Ryuzaki as genuinely concerned about Kaidoh as well as only giving the appearance of being exceptionally harsh towards him.

Finally, I wanted to make the new evolution of Inui Juice especially intimidating. I think "Del Muerto" has a nice ring to it. It might be something innocuous, like cough syrup and oatmeal, or maybe something a bit more macabre, such as the manifestation of tennis players that Inui tortured, raped, and killed for their nutrients. I'm going to leave it up in the air at this point.


	4. Impressionism and Cacti

Impressionism and Cacti

_Nine-thousand, nine-hundred and ninety-six, nine-thousand, nine-hundred and ninety-seven, nine-thousand, nine-hundred and ninety-eight, nine-thousand, nine-hundred and ninety-nine, ten-thousand._ Kaidoh put his racket down on the grass and collapsed against the bark of the willow tree, resting in its shade. _Alright, I'm done with racket swings. Next is running._ Kaidoh picked himself up off the ground, blissfully unaware of the bruising on his arm, and began to run.

Every five kilometers, Kaidoh would allow himself one sip from his water bottle. His goal was to start with a sixteen-ounce water bottle and empty it by the end of the day. Each drop of water that slid down his parched throat was a personal victory for him, as the water not only refreshed his body, but also reminded him that he was one step closer to his goal. Kaidoh kept moving, not letting his pace fall for a second. In addition to simply building up his overall level of tennis, Kaidoh had a hidden motive in his monstrous training: to obtain the endurance of any middle-school tennis player in the national tournament. It would not be an easy task, but stamina was his greatest asset as a player. With stamina, he gained the confidence necessary to play through a long and difficult game, and with his persistence and drive, he would have the means to win in the end.

_I won't slow down a step. I'm going to keep moving._ Kaidoh dragged his feet over the sidewalk laboriously, evenly, with a concentrated effort. Already panting, thirsting, Kaidoh would not allow himself a microsecond of respite. _I'm going to have the best stamina in Japan. I'm going to..._

The exhaustion, heat, physical damage, and dehydration all caught up to Kaidoh in an instant as he collapsed on the sidewalk, unconscious.

* * *

Syusuke Fuji yawned as he fastened his seatbelt in the backseat of his sister's car. It was a relatively boring day. The only thing keeping him going was the imminent Nationals. Up until this point, the prodigy had relatively easy matches. Going to the nationals meant finding people who would seriously challenge him – maybe even beat him – and renew his love for the game. Fuji desperately wanted to issue a challenge to Tachibana Kippei, the captain of Fudoumine who had broken past Fuji's trademark "triple counters". There were plenty of other amazing players in the tournament, as well, including the legendary Kuranosuke Shiraishi, known for his "Perfect Tennis". _If I want to compete seriously in the Nationals, these "triple counters" won't be enough. I have to improve._

Just as Fuji began to muse, he saw a disturbing sight out of the corner of his eye. "Yumiko, stop!" he screamed to his sister. He tore off his seatbelt and got out of the car, moving to the fallen body on the road. His stomach inverted itself as he viewed the body more closely. _He's breathing, but it's shallow. He probably overworked himself. _ Fuji turned to his older sister, who had lowered the car window. "It's not serious, so I don't think he'll need to go to the hospital, but he needs to rest. We can let him rest at home, since we're much closer to there than to his house."

* * *

_I feel dizzy. Where am I? And why does the room smell like plants?_

"Ah! Are you back with us, Kaidoh?"

Kaidoh rubbed his eyes slowly. "Fuji? Where am I?"

Fuji smiled. "This is my room."

Kaidoh eyed the surroundings. The room seemed quite orderly, except for the erratic placement of cacti plants and photographs of Fuji's family and the Seigaku members. "What happened?"

"That's right, you probably don't remember. I'm guessing you overworked yourself in training." He chuckled. "Sounds like you."

Kaidoh attempted to bow from his prone position, but felt a sharp pain in his back and stopped halfway. "I'm sorry for the trouble."

"Not at all. You can just rest here."

Kaidoh flushed. "Thank you."

Fuji sat down at his oak desk and began working on a short history assignment, leaving the Snake to his own devices.

In reality, Kaidoh was furious with himself. The nationals were approaching quickly, and Kaidoh needed to train in order to get back on the team. If he didn't improve, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. "Thank you for taking care of me," began Kaidoh, slowly rising off of the bed, and limping towards the door.

Kaidoh found a menacing cactus plant half a centimeter from his face. On the other side of the plant was Fuji's hand wrapped around the pot. "Not so fast, Kaidoh. You're still injured and exhausted. I'm not going to allow you to leave here until tomorrow."

"But--"

"It's alright. I've already called your parents and explained the situation."

"Fuji, I--"

Just at that moment, the door opened, and a familiar aura of evil crept into the floral sanctuary. "Fuji called me as well after he called your parents, Kaidoh."

Kaidoh stopped advancing towards the door. "Inui."

"I gave explicit orders to Fuji to not to let you leave this room under any circumstances until tomorrow. In addition, you are to be resting the entire time." He snickered. "Unless there's something else you'd rather do alone with Fu--"

"Wait, though," began Kaidoh, thankfully oblivious to Inui's joke. "I'm better, honestly. I can train again. I have to get out there and--"

"Stop it, Kaidoh. Overwork is counterproductive."

Kaidoh knew that Inui was correct, which just made him more frustrated.

In the midst of the heavy tension pierced a series of ethereal, painfully beautiful pitches centered around a D flat. Both Kaidoh and Inui stared as the genius skillfully procured notes from his flute. Fuji played to the end of the tenth measure and then stopped, leaving the others speechless. "Claude Debussy's 'Syrynx'. Kaidoh, do you know the fundamental principle of this piece?"

Kaidoh was silent.

"The notes, to be sure, are arranged in a pleasing manner. But, the notes are highlighted because the rests exists. Within the melody, in between melodies, and at the end of phrases, rests are an integral part of music. You can't make a complete song without rest." Fuji put his flute back on his desk. "And it's the same with training. Rest is necessary for the body, and is just as much a part of training as is running laps or hitting balls."

Kaidoh paused. "You're right."

Inui glanced at his watch. "Well, if that's settled, I've got work to do. I'll see you both tomorrow."

Fuji opened the door. "Alright. Bye."

Kaidoh sat down on the bed as Fuji sat at his desk. After a few awkward moments of silence passed, Fuji turned to Kaidoh. "You know, I have a spare kazoo that I haven't used."

Kaidoh flushed. "I really haven't played music before, so I wouldn't know what to do."

Fuji grinned. "Don't worry, you can start with something simple."

"I've already caused a lot of trouble. I don't want to bother you."

"I don't mind, really." Fuji picked up the spare instrument. "Here, I'll teach you."

"Fuji? What are you doing?"

* * *

Inui removed his glasses to clean them as he walked back through the side street. _Kaidoh's really something else. I didn't tell him to do that kind of ridiculous routine, but he almost pulled it off. I don't doubt that he has the best stamina of any middle-school player in Japan. Still, he's pretty reckless. _Inui replaced his glasses just in time to see the sun set.

As he walked back, Inui heard a familiar voice call out "Alright! Two games to one!"

_It's actually not that surprising that he would be here. Let me make sure, though._ Inui walked up the stairs into the street courts, to find Momoshiro holding his racket proudly aimed at his opponent, Ibu Shinji of Fudoumine.

"Don!"

"Momoshiro!" called Inui, approaching the court.

"Yo, Inui." Momoshiro waved at his friend. "Don't worry, we've got permission from Tachibana for this match--"

Ibu snorted. "Indirectly. I only saw you with Ann all day. Our captain would be upset if anyone, especially from another school, and especially anyone from the school that beat us, with his sister."

Momoshiro glared at Ibu. "You want to say that again?"

"Before you two get in a fight and I have to apply a double-dosage of my Juice, I came over here because I heard the match was two to one."

Momoshiro grinned. "Oh, yeah. I've been working hard since the last ranking games. If you're hunting for data, I'll give you a feast right here!"

Ibu walked back to the baseline, and began to mutter to himself. "You're an impressive player, Momoshiro. I have no doubts that Captain Tachibana could break that technique. But it really is something scary. I hope that I find a way around it. Maybe there's some kind of weakness I can exploit."

The match began in full force.

* * *

Ibu and Momoshiro approached each other and bowed. "Thank you for the game."

Inui fixed his glasses. _Six games to one in the end. You were right, Momoshiro. That was good data._

Author's Notes:

I accidentally wrote the next chapter first, and then realized I was missing a plot point, so I went back and wrote this.


	5. Challenge Before the Nationals

Challenge Before the Nationals

_I think this is the correct address, but I'm not sure._ Kaidoh stared at the baseball cages, feeling awfully out of place with his tennis racket.

Inui approached Kaidoh from behind. "Yo."

"Inui, shouldn't I have brought a bat? This seems a little strange."

Inui waved his index finger in a side-to-side motion. "I guess it seems strange, but you definitely should be using your racket. You're going to use the batting cages from now on for practice."

"Why?"

"It's a basic principle of physics," stated Inui. "Force equals mass multiplied by acceleration. In this case, baseballs are considerable more massive than tennis balls, so you'll be required to hit the balls with more force."

Just as Inui finished explaining, a middle-aged gentleman came through the "Employees Only" door and approached the pair. "Kid, you're in the wrong place. The tennis center is two blocks away from here."

Kaidoh began to pull his racket out of his bag. "No, I'm in the right place. I intend to practice like this."

"That's dangerous!" warned the manager. "You could injure your arm like that. Besides the fact that I don't want you to hurt yourself, I'm responsible for the well-being of my customers." He placed both of his hands on his head. "If you get badly hurt here, I'm going to be paying out of my daughter's college fund."

"I'm not in any danger, sir," replied Kaidoh in his obstinately polite manner. "Please let me do this."

"I can't let you, kid. I'm sorry, but it's risky."

Inui stepped forward. "What if I were to make a bet?"

The manager ran his fingers through his hair and eyed Inui strangely. "Go ahead."

"Let's say that my friend here can hit five balls farther with his racket than anyone here with their bats. If he were able to do that without injuring himself, would you let him practice?"

Suddenly, an air of silence permeated the building as the customers who had been training all day turned angrily towards Inui.

"Even if I could do that, I'd risk losing a lot of business." The manager motioned towards the customers. "You see how you've upset them?"

Kaidoh bowed deeply to the manager. "If that were the case, I promise I'd volunteer to do part-time work to make up for any losses."

The proprietor chuckled. "Alright. Go ahead and try. If you can't beat our regular customers, I'll ask you to leave. If you somehow manage to hit the ball farther than them, I'll let you work here and use the machines in return."

Kaidoh bowed deeply once again. "Thank you very much, sir!"

* * *

Oishi had just finished buying groceries for the house as he was walking back through the town. _I can't believe we've made it to the nationals. It seems like such a long time since Tezuka and I made that promise. Now, finally, my dream – no, our dreams, have been fulfilled. But we still have a long way to go._ Oishi glanced at his wrist. _I've been a burden to Seigaku for too long. I know I'm holding Eiji back – he surpassed me a long while back. _Oishi made a fist. _While I'm still here, I want to make a difference. I want to share in that victory and _win_ the national tournament! But I have to improve my own tennis first. I have to --_

A familiar green flash caught Oishi's attention. Sure enough, Oishi spotted Kaidoh through the window of the nearby building. _But why in baseball batting cages, of all places?_ Even from this distance, Oishi could make out that Kaidoh was visibly strained; Kaidoh's arms were badly bruised and the floor around him was soaked in an unnerving mix of sweat and blood.

Nearly dropping his grocery bags, Oishi ran into the building to see the sight for himself.

* * *

"That's three balls, brat," chided one of the regular customers, an American-looking adult with sandy blond hair. "Every single one we've hit has squarely touched the back wall. Your ball barely bounces two centimeters off the racket." He grabbed Kaidoh's shirt and pulled the boy against him. "You think you can just waltz in here and show us all up? You arrogant shit!"

"Get your mitts off of my teammate, sir."

All heads in the room turned to see Oishi standing at the entrance, with a furious expression and radiating a dangerous aura.

Kaidoh calmly pushed the older man's hands off of his shirt. "It's alright, Oishi. I'm the one that decided to do this."

"What in the world is this, anyway?"

"Training." Kaidoh re-positioned himself a distance away from the machine. "I'm ready. Give me my fourth ball."

Another one of the regulars, an older teenager, grinned. "You got it, squirt."

Kaidoh closed his eyes and listened for the sound of the baseball cutting air. _Up until now, I've only been able to hit the ball. If I want to hit it farther, I need to gather energy. I know where it will come, and when it will come. I just need to store power. Store power._

Kaidoh's right arm suddenly appeared to engorge, as he moved it forward and met the ball. The sensation hit him like a brick again, and the bleeding started. _Damn it! It doesn't hurt! It doesn't hurt!_

"Dorya!" screamed Kaidoh as he propelled the ball forward, finally releasing it. The baseball rocketed towards the other wall, engraving itself in the wall and scattering debris everywhere.

The other customers, Inui, Oishi, the manager, and even Kaidoh himself stared at the ball in amazement.

"Hadoukyuu," spoke Inui placidly. "A shot that uses one hundred and twenty percent of your power."

Oishi scratched his head. "I thought Kawamura was the only one who could use it like that."

The manager turned his head from the still ball, to Oishi, to the ball, to Oishi again. "Hey, wait a minute. I think I remember seeing your picture in the newspaper somewhere. If I remember correctly, it was about a middle-school tennis team that had won the regional tournament."

Oishi smiled. "Seigaku."

"No wonder that kid hit it so hard! You guys are all Seigaku players?"

"Yeah."

The manager laughed heartily. "Well, if that's the case, you guys are free to use my cages anytime." He turned to Kaidoh. "Don't worry about working part-time; hell, if anything, having Seigaku members practice here will bring free publicity."

The three boys bowed in unison. "Thank you very much, sir."

* * *

"Ah, but what a surprise! To see you in such a place." Oishi was visibly happy. His voice grew slightly more mellow. "Honestly, it's good to see you again, Kaidoh. Everyone was worried after hearing that you were dropped from the team."

Kaidoh flushed. "Thanks."

After a silent minute of walking together, Kaidoh spoke up again. "Oishi. I plan on coming back. I've been training for the past couple of weeks, harder than before. I know I can't be a regular, but I'm definitely coming with you guys to the nationals!"

Oishi laughed. "Really? It's good to hear that. I'm glad."

"But, you know, Kaidoh, we've all been working hard as well. Momoshiro, too. Don't think that he got cocky just because he beat you in a close game."

"I'd be disappointed to hear otherwise."

Oishi stopped. "I'm excited, but I'm also scared. To think that we all made it this far is amazing, but there'll be a lot of amazing players in the tournament as well." He turned to Kaidoh. "I don't know how far we can go, but I'm going to go as far as I can!"

Kaidoh turned the street corner, heading back towards his own house. "I'll see you in a week, Oishi."

* * *

"Tomorrow will be your last chance to make it back on the team before the nationals."

"I'm looking forward to it, Inui," replied Kaidoh, while finishing his tenth set of a thousand strokes each.

"Listen, I've already received permission from Tezuka," began Inui, drawing his own racket. "Let's have a match, Kaidoh."

Kaidoh stopped abruptly. "A match? Between you and me?"

"I want to see the effects of the training you've done."

"But, I still can't use the snake. Doesn't that make your data useless?"

Inui grinned. "If you thought my data was that weak, you're wrong."

"Kaidoh. This will be a match against yourself. If you've overcome the old Kaidoh, you'll win. If you haven't improved, you'll lose."

Author's Notes:

Instead of writing about a large number of training exercises, I reduced the width and increased the depth. I think it turned out better this way, as I got to bring some more characters into this. Just having Inui and Kaidoh was beginning to get a bit lonely.

Portraying Oishi accurately is difficult. I wanted to show him as a secondary "Pillar of Seigaku" and a responsible, polite, and nervous captain, while facing his own self-doubts about his own abilities and his mixed feelings about the national tournament.

I also plan to go back to the first chapter and rewrite as I go along; there are things I definitely want to address and change. I want to add more content to the second chapter and more detail to the third. I should have also put in a disclaimer somewhere, though I think it's safe to assume nobody actually thinks I own _The Prince of Tennis_ series.


	6. Kaidoh versus Inui: Slither Step

Kaidoh versus Inui: Slither Step

Sumire Ryuzaki sat at her desk, poring over various paperwork and forms. Sometimes, being the head of a prestigious tennis club was more trouble than it was worth. And the National tournament was rapidly approaching. _I wonder if Kaidoh will be able to return in time._

As Ryuzaki lost herself in her thoughts, the door to her office opened. "Ah, Inoue."

The reporter closed the door behind him and bowed. "Ryuzaki."

"Spying on our team again?"

Inoue laughed. "Well, that's part of it, but I brought along an article that I thought might interest you." He laid the newspaper tucked under his arm on Ryuzaki's desk and opened it to the fifth page.

"It's always nice to gain perspective on what's happening in tennis outside of Japan," remarked Ryuzaki as she read through the article, which detailed some of the more notable players of other countries.

"Actually, there were two specific players that had caught my attention." Inoue glanced at the article and pointed his finger at some words on the page. "There, the first one. Liam Metam. An American player who had won four consecutive championships and led his team to victory in the Nationals."

Ryuzaki followed along. "It says here that 'Metam has an endlessly changing play style' and 'is possibly the most versatile player world-wide'. Wow, that's a pretty bold description for a middle-school player.

"Here's the other one that had caught my attention." Inoue turned the page and put his finger on the page. "Antonio Cerasola. An Italian player who led his team to victory in the regionals six times and twice in the Nationals. He's drawing a lot of attention; people are clamoring for him to go pro. He's no doubt being scouted as we speak." Inoue chuckled. "Apparently, he also draws a lot of attention based on his 'stunningly good looks' from women and men alike."

"'Cerasola's tennis can only be described as beautiful and supernatural.'" Ryuzaki folded the paper and handed it back to Inoue. "The rest of the world's moving pretty quickly. I guess we can't dawdle for too long."

"In that case, I'd better get going." Inoue bowed to the Coach, and left.

Ryuzaki glanced out of her window onto the school's tennis courts. _I wonder if any of these kids will draw that kind of attention. In any case, getting through the Nationals is our number one priority at the moment._

* * *

"One set match," began Oishi, sitting atop the referee's chair. "Inui to serve."

Kaidoh grasped his racket in anticipation as the older boy bounced the ball up and down. This was finally his moment to prove to himself that the training he did over the past few weeks was not meaningless.

Fuji watched from the sidelines. _Kaidoh looks a bit nervous, but I guess that's to be expected._ He glanced at Inui. _More importantly, how will Kaidoh do without the Snake? Inui himself has been training nearly as rigorously, and he still has his data._

"Here I go, Kaidoh." Inui tossed the ball high up into the air and jumped up, bringing his racket down slowly at first and accelerating towards the ball. As the racket connected, he pushed his arm forward and finally released the ball.

"Fifteen love!" called Oishi.

_What?_ Kaidoh looked behind him, only to find the ball on the floor at his side. _What in the world have you done, Inui?_

As if anticipating Kaidoh's question, Inui gave an answer. "Super High-speed Serve. I've worked on it since the Rikkai Dai matches."

Oishi gazed at the fallen ball. "It's probably faster than the Neo Scud Serve at this point, and with perfect control."

Inui drew another ball from his pocket. "Get ready, Kaidoh."

The ball flew down towards Kaidoh at a blinding speed. _I have it this time!_ Kaidoh met the ball with his racket, but to his surprise, had his racket blown out of his hand violently.

"Thirty love!"

Fuji smiled. _It looks like Inui's developed the ultimate straight serve. A great mix of speed and power, the only weakness is in its linear predictability. Still, if you can't see it, you can't hit it._ He glanced at Kaidoh, who pulled at the strings of his racket. _Now, what will you do, Kaidoh?_

"Forty love!"

Inui lofted up the ball with spirit. "I'll take the first game with this!"

The ball came roaring down while Kaidoh prepared himself. _The only way to return this serve is to anticipate it and move to the correct spot early, and to gather enough energy to be able to hit it. I have the timing down. I can do it!_

Kaidoh's racket met the ball. _This is familiar. This is just like... just like the time I was hitting baseballs. Yes! I remember this!_

"Dorya!" Kaidoh forced the racket forward despite the overwhelming force, and shot the ball straight past the net. The ball landed across from Inui, severely out of his reach, and caught itself in the fence behind the court.

"Forty fifteen!" Oishi shouted in shock. _Kaidoh returned the Super Serve with a Hadoukyuu!_

Fuji laughed to himself. _That wasn't the response I expected, but it definitely works. Interesting._

Inui stared at the ball. "To be honest, I didn't think you'd be able to return my Super High-speed Serve. Or, with that much power." He tossed the ball into the air again. "But I won't let you get another return ace!"

"Dorya!" Kaidoh countered the Super Serve with the Hadoukyuu again, but this time, Inui caught up to the ball and hit it cross-court.

_How was that? I still have my data!_

_I won't let it get away!_ Kaidoh reached the ball effortlessly, hitting a finishing drop shot.

"Forty thirty!" Oishi rubbed his eyes. _What just happened? It looked like Kaidoh was gliding on the court._

Inui fixed his glasses. "Of course. I should have anticipated this." _The exercises have paid off, it seems. Because of his now exceptional dashing strength and weight shifting, combined with his natural sense of balance, Kaidoh's acquired the means to move around the court in a fluid manner._

Kaidoh shook his head. "That was strange. I felt like the court was made of ice."

Inui pointed his racket at Kaidoh. "Those exercises I made you do; running on the sand, catching balls-- they were all for a purpose. By developing your forwards and backwards dash as well as your side-to-side movement and weight shifting, along with a more powerful lower body, you've attained the highest level of ground movement. It would feel like there's no friction on the court."

"Frictionless." Kaidoh stared at his shoes, wondering if he was dreaming.

"If you don't have a better name for it, I'll call it 'Slither Step'," a familiar voice joked. "Like a snake chasing down its prey."

Kaidoh turned around sharply. "Momoshiro!"

"Yo, Viper."

"What are you doing here?" Kaidoh spat at his rival.

"I'm just here to watch." Momo grinned.

Kaidoh hissed and turned back to the game.

Inui held his ball aloft. "Well, then, this is about where we start playing seriously. Get ready, Kaidoh!"

* * *

"Game: Kaidoh, one game to love!"

Momoshiro turned to Fuji. "The Viper's doing really well, isn't he?"

"Yeah. That 'Slither Step' looks pretty formidable. Because of it, there's essentially no place in the court where Inui could hit it that Kaidoh wouldn't be able to reach."

"Sounds right. But Inui's putting up a fight as well."

* * *

"Game: Inui, one game all!"

* * *

"Game: Kaidoh, two games to one!" Oishi paused for a minute. _Is it just me, or does it look like Kaidoh is hitting the ball awkwardly? Maybe it's nothing._

* * *

"Game: Kaidoh, three games to one!"

Inui and Kaidoh, both drenched in sweat, stared at the floor of the court. Inui held the ball in his hand, and paused. "Well, it should be about time now."

Momoshiro scratched his head. "What's Inui talking about?"

"Kaidoh," called the older player. "I bet you're feeling more tired than you should be."

Kaidoh glared at Inui, and then assessed his own condition. _Damn, he's right. But why? I trained harder in stamina than anyone else! How could he know that I'd tire out at this point?_

Fuji opened his eyes. "No. This was something Inui had planned." _Actually, it was pretty gutsy of you to try to outlast Kaidoh._

Inui caught his breath. "Kaidoh. The real game starts now!"

Author's Notes:

As much fun as writing the tennis portion of this is, I think it lacks detail.


	7. Kaidoh versus Inui: Inui's Ambition

Kaidoh versus Inui: Inui's Ambition

_The Chocolates, the Chocolates!_ Kikumaru laughed to himself merrily as he rode his bicycle along the sidewalk, clutching two tickets for the latest concert of _The Chocolates_ – Kikumaru's favorite pop idol group. He had invited Oishi to come along, but Oishi politely refused, vaguely mentioning that he had other things to do. Kikumaru did not mind enjoying the concert by himself, as this way he could take the scenic route on the way to the event.

He had taken up to biking ever since the end of the Kantou Regional Tournament, as he needed a way to maximize his endurance. Day after day, he endured harsh cardiovascular training in order to fix his fatal flaw. _Ever since that time, we've been on a losing streak, the two of us. I don't want to be a burden to Oishi anymore. I'm good with my acrobatic play and my speed, but if I can't last through the game, then there's no point._ Kikumaru did not need to remind himself of the painful loss that he and Oishi experienced during the Doubles One match against Rikkai Dai. The Nationals were approaching with the speed and ferocity of a freight train, and Kikumaru swore to his partner that they'd restore the honor in the title of the "Golden Pair". For that reason, Kikumaru trained his overall stamina and improved it by several notches. Not just with biking, either. Kikumaru jogged, swam, cycled, climbed, crawled, and dragged himself towards improvement. He had even asked Inui himself to prepare a training menu for him, just like Inui had done for Kaidoh back when Ryoma had joined Seigaku.

"Excuse me!"

Kikumaru was snapped out of his reminiscence by a tan male with a terrible Japanese accent. _A foreigner?_ Kikumaru stopped riding and waved joyfully. "Hello! How can I help you?"

"Can you tell me how to get to the Park Hyatt Tokyo from here?" He pointed to his travel map. "I have got lost."

"Park Hyatt Tokyo?" Kikumaru put a curious hand on his chin. "Hey, wait. Are you a movie star or something? I thought only really rich people went there!"

The blond boy waved his hands frantically. "No, it is nothing like that!"

"Well, I think you'll find it if you go North for a couple of blocks and then take the bus to the Shinjuku Station," Kikumaru advised. _Hey, wait a minute. The Chocolates are performing right near there! And I just happen to have an extra ticket!_

"Ah, thank you!" The foreigner shook Kikumaru's hand, and picked up his travel bag. "I have to check in at eight by latest, so I should probably get going."

Kikumaru returned the handshake. "Actually, I'm headed to a concert right near there. If the check-in is at eight, why not join me? I have an extra ticket with me."

"Wow, that's really nice of you! Sure, that sounds like fun! What concert are you going to?"

Kikumaru beamed. "The Chocolates! The Chocolates! They're the hottest pop band in Tokyo!"

"Sounds great!"

Kikumaru began to walk his bicycle and gestured for his new friend to follow him. "My name's Kikumaru Eiji, what's yours?"

"Antonio Cerasola. My land mass erupts with kittens!" stated Antonio sincerely, attempting to express gratitude but failing on a grandiose scale.

* * *

Momoshiro looked stunned. "What in the world is going on? Why is the Viper tired already?"

Fuji turned to Momo. "Inui's been hiding some scary weapons. This is probably the result of the first: Medical Tennis."

Now, Oishi and Momo both turned to Fuji as the two players rallied. "Medical Tennis?"

Fuji narrowed his eyes. "Inui himself said that he wants to be a Doctor when he graduates. To that end, he's intensively studied advanced biology and human anatomy."

Momo chuckled. "Well, I have faith in Inui. If he says he's going to be a doctor, then he's going to be a doctor."

"You don't know the half of it, Momoshiro."

Momo clenched his fist. "What do you mean by that, Fuji?"

"Inui shouldn't have stayed here," began Fuji. "Or rather, so his counselors advised him. When he came here, they were telling him to go to the University of Tokyo."

"That's ridiculous! You mean they were actually telling him to skip High School?"

Fuji smiled. "It's not so ridiculous when you consider that Inui's IQ, when last measured, was about two hundred and thirty."

Momoshiro dropped his jaw, not being able to utter a single word in pure shock.

Oishi was forced to tear himself apart from the conversation and focus his attention towards the heated match as Inui hit a ball that landed just one and a half centimeters out of Kaidoh's reach. "Fifteen love!"

* * *

A younger Inui sat on a comfortable leather chair in the guidance department as three of the counselors reviewed his accolades from his previous schools. The first counselor, a middle-aged man named Motsuko, approached the freshman. "Inui. The three of us honestly believe that it would be in your best interest to not attend Seishun Gakuen. In all honesty, you have a great shot at getting into the University of Tokyo. If you go now, you'll be able to go to incredible heights in your future. We all have a lot of faith in you. If you waste three years here, you'll still go far, but you'll be limited."

"With all due respect," began Inui, fixing his glasses. "I do intend on attending Seishun Gakuen for the full length."

Yoshinori, a woman of about thirty years, attempted to persuade the freshman. "Inui. You can do great things with your life. You might be the one to find the cure for cancer, or world hunger. You'll be famous. You'll go far if you leave now."

"For all of my life, it feels like I've been running." Inui stood up and faced the three counselors. "But I don't know where I'm going. I know that I want to be a doctor some day, but I don't know how I'm going to get there. It just feels like I've been going too fast. Just for a couple of years, I want to slow down. I want to live my life normally. I want to figure out where I'm going. Once I do that, I'll be prepared to reach for my goal again." Inui put his hands together. "Please! Let me attend this middle school!"

* * *

Oishi raised his hand up. "Forty fifteen!"

Momo regained his wits. "But, I still don't see what that has to do with Medical Tennis, or even what it is."

"Inui's Medical Tennis is more of a state of mind than an actual technique. By being able to read biological signals with professional accuracy, he can assess the state of his opponent at any time. By hitting the balls with precision, he can force his opponents to return his shots at odd angles, which put strain on their pressure points and makes them feel painful sensations. In a sense, Inui's Medical Tennis allows him to coldly, scientifically take apart his opponent's body during a match."

"That's unbelievable." Momo scratched his head. "I knew Inui was intelligent, but that's more than I would have expected."

"That's not all." Fuji opened his backpack and took out a rather thick textbook, and handed it to Momoshiro. "Inui asked me to return this, along with about sixty other books, for him."

Momo sounded out the title of the book from the cover. "Integral Calculus?" Momo stared at it. "Isn't this high school level – no, college level – material?"

* * *

Inui's mother knocked at his door. "Sadaharu, you should get to sleep now. It's late."

"Understood, mom." Inui held his dim flashlight under his covers while glancing through the textbook. Because Seigaku did not offer courses for exceptional students, Inui drove himself to learn advanced material. In a corner of his room lay about two hundred fully read books, along with two hundred notebooks, detailing all the "data" that he had gleaned from them. Indeed, Inui had already taught himself the equivalent of several high school and college courses. _I can't sleep now, I've only got three more chapters to finish._ Despite his own objections, Inui found him asleep with his glasses on and using the textbook as a pillow.

Inui's mother entered the room cautiously, and smiled at the sight. She replaced the hard textbook with a feathery pillow and placed her son's glasses on his desk, and then kissed his cheek right before she shut his door and left.

* * *

"Game: Inui, three games to two!"

"But how would learning calculus improve Inui's game?" protested Momoshiro.

"Inui's Data Tennis is based on the use of statistics to determine the likely course of the ball. However, some players change over the course of a match." Fuji smiled. "Like Echizen. To account for those kinds of players, Inui had to assimilate a new math style into his Tennis – a math style that would measure the rate of change in a player's ability. In essence, while his old Data Tennis only worked when his opponent stayed relatively constant during a match, his new Data Tennis anticipates changes in his opponent's game and adapts to it." Fuji stared at Kaidoh as the Snake struggled to return Inui's shots. "Not only did Inui level up his Data Tennis to this extent, but he also trained rigorously; almost as much as Kaidoh trained. It takes all of his effort just to hit back Inui's high-level serves and returns. At this point, Kaidoh will start to be outmaneuvered by the Data Tennis and broken down by the Medical Tennis."

* * *

Kaidoh struck his serve down the court, and was instantly hit back. _Damn! If I could use the Snake, I could take back the pace of this match. Or could I? He has data on my Snake. Is this the true form of Inui?_

"Kaidoh," began Inui as he hit Kaidoh's return with a Jack Knife. "Did you know that ninety percent of Tennis is a mental game?"

Kaidoh jumped to the side in hopes of returning the ball, but missed it again.

"Game: Inui, three games all!"

* * *

The Super Serve came roaring down past Kaidoh in a flash, and Kaidoh couldn't even see it in time to return it.

"Fifteen love!"

"What's wrong, Kaidoh?" Inui smirked. "Did you forget something? Come! If you can't conquer me, then this is your limit. Will you truly be satisfied with that?"

Kaidoh gritted his teeth and grasped his racket. "Just serve the ball, please."

"As you wish."

"Thirty love!"

"Forty love!"

"Game: Inui, four games to three!"

Momoshiro began to pull at his hair. "Damn! Inui just took a game of four consecutive no-touch service aces! Either the Super Serve is faster than it was in the first game, or Kaidoh's really been affected by this 'Medical Tennis'."

Kaidoh continued his service game, but Inui read through all of his moves as if they were written plainly on the court. Each time, Kaidoh slid his way towards the ball in desperation. About half of the time, he missed it. The other half of the time, Inui simply hit it cross-court.

"Game: Inui, five games to three!"

Fuji placed a thoughtful hand to his chin. "It's not just the Medical Tennis. It's a psychological blow. It's damaging to have the score reversed against you when you initially had the lead. Kaidoh might be losing faith in himself right now."

Momo punched the cage of the court. "Viper! What the hell are you doing in there?"

Kaidoh turned around to face the distraction. "Keep quiet, retard."

"You want some hell, Viper?"

Kaidoh pointed his racket at his rival. "I'll give it to you if you want it!"

Momo smiled. "I'll consider it my loss if you win this match."

Kaidoh lowered his racket, hissed, and walked back to his side of the court.

Fuji smiled at Momo. "That was nice of you, if not a bit biased."

Momo grinned. "That bastard's too honest for his own good."

"It looks like this is your limit, then, Kaidoh." Inui tossed the ball up, and brought his racket down. "This is where it ends!"

"Dorya!" Kaidoh placed himself in the balls path and forced it forward, scoring a return ace on Inui.

"Love fifteen!" Oishi smiled. _Kaidoh's coming back, isn't he?_

_This is the expected result. There is nothing to fear._ Inui hit his monstrous serve again, and was again foiled by Kaidoh's straight Hadoukyuu.

"Love thirty!"

Momoshiro turned to Fuji. "What's going on? I thought Inui had the lead!"

Fuji smirked. "Perhaps initially, but Inui forgot one thing. Medical Tennis, while powerful, could only last so long against Kaidoh. The situation has reversed. Now, Inui is the tired one, and Kaidoh has his energy back. While Inui still has his upgraded Data Tennis, Kaidoh can use the Slither Step at full capacity. The match is in his pace again."

* * *

"Game and match: Kaidoh, seven games to five!"

Both players moved forwards and shook hands. Inui laughed. "I'm glad, Kaidoh. Does this mean you'll be here tomorrow to reclaim your rightful spot on the team?"

"Inui. I'll definitely be there."

"Let's not lose, Kaidoh."

Kaidoh hissed.

Author's Notes:

The places mentioned in the beginning are actually places that exist. Also, when it's mentioned that Cerasola has a terrible Japanese accent, just be sure to note that these characters are speaking in Japanese; this is a "translated" work if you prefer to think of it that way. Kudos if you catch the "my land mass erupts with kittens" reference.

I made a "chibi" version of Cerasola; the link to the picture is in my profile.


	8. A New Beginning

A New Beginning

Kaidoh stood still at the door to Ryuzaki's office. His mind began to swirl and fuse as an array of thoughts and emotions ran through him: excitement, for being able to re-join the team, shame, for being kicked off in the first place; his standing in Tezuka's eyes, in Ryuzaki's eyes, in Momoshiro's eyes. He ran his hand down his sweatshirt, and missed the smooth, light feel of his jersey. Gripping his racket, Kaidoh took a step forward and creaked open the door to the Coach's office.

Ryuzaki sat in her chair and glanced straight ahead. Kaidoh felt like he was suddenly dropped on a stage, and all of the lights and cameras turned to him. He began to sweat. _Pull yourself together, Kaoru. This is something you have to do._ He took a step forward, and Ryuzaki slammed the book she was reading shut.

"Are you lost, or do you want something?"

Kaidoh gulped. "Coach. I've done some thinking, and I've trained a lot. I'm more committed than I was before. Please give me another chance."

Ryuzaki removed her glasses and smiled softly. "Well, you seem to be serious this time. Are you really ready?"

Kaidoh bowed even lower. "Yes!"

"Then I see no reason to hold you back any longer." Ryuzaki stood up. "Welcome back, Kaidoh."

"Thank you very much!"

Inui, standing at his side, already changed into his uniform, turned to Kaidoh. "Kaidoh. Despite the fact that you were formally released from the team, not a day of training has passed where nobody mentioned you. Everybody is anxious to have you back; even Tezuka and Coach Ryuzaki. I'm sure that if you just change into your uniform and come to practice, nobody will think twice. The worst that will happen is Tezuka making you run some hundred laps."

Kaidoh turned to Inui and bowed. "Inui. I really want to thank you for your help over the last few weeks."

"Don't mention it."

"Even if that were the truth, I've disgraced Seigaku." Kaidoh took another heavy step towards the green gates. "I let everybody down because I trapped myself in my own selfishness and ignorance, and as a result, I became visibly worse. I owe it to everybody to do this the right way; I have to join as a new member, discarding any of the bias they might have in favor or against me."

"You're incorrigibly, obstinately honorable, Kaidoh." Inui smirked, and then left for the courts. "Well, I guess you have to do what feels right to you. I'll see you inside."

Kaidoh closed his eyes, and then creaked open the revolving fence door, and stepped onto the school's courts for the first time in weeks. All of a sudden, Kaidoh felt a multitude of eyes swarm around him and devour him. Each and every freshman dropped the ball he had in his hand and gazed at the reborn Snake. Kaidoh wanted to disappear at that moment. All of a sudden, the freshman, who averaged a height less than half of his, seemed more intimidating then any of the ruffians or bullies that Kaidoh had ever ran into. The upperclassmen stared as well, whispering amongst themselves as Kaidoh slowly made his way through the courts and towards the area where the Regulars were practicing. Before he realized it, Kaidoh found himself in the middle of a circle formed by his friends and teammates.

"I calculated ahead of time that the probability of you returning was one-hundred percent," remarked Inui, scribbling something in his notebook.

"Welcome back, Kaidoh," said Oishi, smiling politely.

Kikumaru rushed up, grinned, and pushed Kaidoh gently on the back. "We knew you'd come back to us."

Kawamura smiled gently. "It's good to have you back."

"Welcome home, Kaidoh." Fuji held up Kaidoh's folded jacket in offering.

Kaidoh bowed deeply. "Thank you, everyone," he managed to squeeze out. Just as he reached out for his old jacket, a stray tennis ball found its way to Kaidoh's forehead. Kaidoh turned around abruptly.

"Yo, Viper."

Kaidoh turned around and scowled. Momoshiro stood smugly in an array of red sunbeams, clutching another ball in his right hand, ready to spring. "What do you want?"

Momoshiro grinned. "I just wanted to let you know I haven't gotten all soft and complacent just because I beat you once." He pulled out his racket and pointed it at Kaidoh. "You better be ready for the Nationals, Viper. I don't want you holding me back with your mediocrity."

"That's my line."

Momoshiro tossed Kaidoh a ball. "After the Nationals, promise me that we'll settle this for good."

Kaidoh turned away and hissed.

Author's Notes:

This chapter could have used more content, but in any case, I'm done with it. If you've read up to here, thanks for sitting through this; I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.


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